CHAPTER 117: FOR THE BUSINESS

~LAYLA~

"Helena," I said as I walked into the office confidently, dropping my bag on her desk with a thud. "Where are we on Eclipse Beauty? Any updates from the PR team on that deepfake mess?"

She looked up from her computer, where a stack of reports sat, and gave me a tired but genuine smile. "Morning, ma’am. We’re holding steady. The forensics report debunking the video went viral last night; pre-orders are up five percent. But some retailers are still hesitant. Henry’s crunching numbers for a potential discount push to lure them back."

"Good. That’s exactly what I needed to hear." I gestured for her to follow me. "Walk with me. I want to hear everything."

We moved through the hallway toward my office, Helena falling into step beside me with her tablet in hand.

"The independent lab confirmed the video was manipulated," she continued. "Timestamps don’t match, the metadata shows multiple edits, and the woman in the footage isn’t even you, facial recognition puts the similarity at only sixty-three percent."

"So Cassandra hired someone who looks vaguely like me to stage the whole thing?"

"Essentially, yes. Our PR team is pushing that angle hard. ’Desperate Woman Creates Elaborate Hoax’ is trending on Twitter."

I nodded, pushing open my office door. "Excellent. Keep that momentum going. Schedule interviews with any outlet willing to cover the forensics angle."

"Already done. You have three lined up for tomorrow."

"Perfect." I sank into my chair, feeling the weight of the past twenty-four hours settle on my shoulders. "Now, speaking of Henry, how are things going between you two?"

Helena’s expression softened, though she tried to play it cool. "Better, actually. He took Ryan and Jason to the park yesterday; no strings attached, no expensive gifts. Just quality time."

"Really? That’s great progress."

"Yeah, it was. Ryan and Jason loved it. He bought them ice cream and told them stories about our mom, about growing up. It’s... weird, but nice. He’s actually making an effort, like you said."

"That’s what consistency looks like," I said gently. "The small stuff matters more than the grand gestures."

"He even called last night to check on their homework. Can you believe that? Henry Porter, checking on elementary school homework." She laughed softly. "It’s starting to feel real, you know?"

"I’m glad," I said, meaning it. "Family’s complicated, but he’s trying. You deserve that effort."

Before she could respond, my intercom buzzed. "Mrs. O’Brien? Mr. O’Brien would like to see you in his office. Something about the legal team."

I raised an eyebrow at Helena, who gave me a knowing look.

Axel and I hadn’t talked much since that night... I mean, I didn’t make myself available for much in the first place. I made sure he left the house before me so that we wouldn’t ride together. I know it would be all business here at the office, but if it were about the case, I couldn’t avoid it.

"Tell him I’m on my way," I said into the intercom.

Helena squeezed my shoulder. "Good luck, ma’am."

"Thanks. I’ll need it."

—

I walked into Axel’s office and found him standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the city skyline. Brennan, our lead lawyer, was already there, files spread across the massive desk.

"Layla," Axel said in a carefully neutral tone. "Good timing. Brennan’s got updates on the case."

I sat in one of the chairs facing the desk, deliberately keeping distance between us. "What’s new?"

Brennan cleared his throat, flipping open one of the files. "My associate got wind that Charles Watson’s been cosy with Judge Thornton, the one assigned to Cassandra’s case. Apparently, she owes him a favour from years ago. Nothing overt that we can prove yet, but it raises serious questions about impartiality."

Axel’s jaw tightened visibly. "What kind of proof do we have?"

"Nothing solid yet," Brennan admitted. "Just whispers from courthouse staff, some coincidental meetings. But it’s enough to file for recusal if we push hard enough."

"What are our options?" I asked.

"We have two main paths. First, we can wait for our expert analysis on Cassandra’s vehicle. Preliminary scans suggest the brake line was tampered with."

"Tampered?"

"Yeah, we’re talking deliberate cuts, not normal wear and tear. If we prove she sabotaged her own car to frame you, the assault charge against her sticks hard, and we might even add attempted insurance fraud."

"And the second option?"

"We go aggressive now. File for judicial recusal based on Charles’s relationship with Thornton. Force them to assign a new judge who won’t be in Watson’s pocket."

I leaned forward. "I say we go aggressive. We can’t let them buy their way out of this. Not again."

"Agreed," Axel said, his eyes meeting mine briefly. There was something unspoken there, a flicker of the connection we’d shared before everything got complicated. "Get proof of anything suspicious, Brennan. And keep digging into that vehicle analysis. I want every angle covered."

"What about the fake bribery video?" I asked. "Can we use that to show a pattern of fabricated evidence?"

"Absolutely," Brennan said, making notes. "We’ll present it as part of a coordinated campaign of harassment and defamation. It strengthens our case considerably."

"Good. What’s our timeline looking like?"

"Trial’s set for three weeks out. We’ll have the recusal motion filed once I get proof, and vehicle analysis should be complete within a week."

Axel nodded. "Keep us updated on every development. No surprises."

Just as we were about to dig into our strategy, Axel’s secretary knocked. "Sir? Mr. Vance is here, and he’s early. Says it’s urgent."

Axel glanced at me, then back at her. "Send him in. Brennan, we’ll follow up this tomorrow."

Brennan gathered his files efficiently and left as Vance entered, all smiles and expensive suit. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a yacht club: tanned, relaxed, confident.

"Axel, Layla... perfect, you’re both here," he said warmly.

I stood to excuse myself. "I’ll let you two..."

"No, stay," Vance insisted, waving me back down. "This actually involves Eclipse Beauty. I heard about the forensics report debunking that ridiculous video. Well done handling that crisis."

"Thank you," I said, sitting back down cautiously.

"I also heard about the court preliminary hearing. Tough situation, but you’re fighters. The business community respects that."

He settled into a chair, crossing his legs casually. "Which brings me to why I’m here. I’m looking to expand my investment portfolio in the beauty sector. Eclipse has caught my attention: sustainable practices, strong pre-orders, excellent crisis management."

Axel leaned forward slightly. "We’re always open to strategic partnerships."

"Excellent. I’d like to discuss a potential investment. Nothing controlling, just capital injection to help with your expansion plans. I’m thinking fifteen million to start, with options for more depending on performance."

My eyes widened slightly. Fifteen million would solve our scaling problems immediately. "That’s very generous, Mr. Vance."

"Call me Richard. And it’s not generosity; it’s smart business. You’ve built something special." He smiled. "Oh, and on a personal note: my wife’s hosting a couples’ retreat this weekend up at our estate in the mountains. Networking, team-building activities, the works. You two should come, it’s a great opportunity to mingle with other investors, and seal deals in a relaxed setting."

Axel glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "Sounds promising."

"It is. Low pressure, high reward. Plus, you both could probably use a break after everything you’ve been dealing with." Vance stood, buttoning his jacket. "I’ll have my assistant send over the details. Looking forward to seeing you there."

"We’ll be there," Axel said smoothly.

As Vance left, the room fell into uncomfortable silence. Axel turned to me. "We have to go," he said. "For the business."

I met his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Do I have a choice?"